Youth is considered an integral stakeholder in the move towards sustainable development and achieving emission reduction targets set in the Paris Agreement on climate change. Recognising the importance of youth in addressing climate change, YOUNGO which is the official youth constituency of the UNFCCC comprising youth NGOs and local youth organizations working on climate change, organizes the Conference of Youth (COY) which takes place before the annual Conference of Parties (COP) organized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Since COP11 in Montreal in 2005, COY has gathered ahead of the Conference of Parties

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The Conference of Youth acts as a platform to energize and mobilize youth as agents of change in taking action on climate change and developing climate solutions. The objectives of COY are to provide capacity building and policy training to prepare youths for their involvement in the upcoming climate negotiations; facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experience in the broader context of climate change between the participants;  and building and enhancing youth networks and movements.

The 13th Conference of Youth (COY13) is being held in Bonn, Germany from the 2nd to the 4th of November under the theme of ““Talanoa Mada – Youth Accelerating Climate Action”. The COY13 brings together over 1300 participants from 114 countries in order to discuss issues related to climate change, share knowledge, experiences and good practices which are inclusive of youth in developing holistic climate solutions. The COY13 aims to accelerate climate action through youth engagement on local, national and global levels.

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SLYCAN Trust will be organising a side-event on “Youth Engagement in Climate Policy-Making And Capacity Building for UNFCCC Negotiations” on the 4th of November from 9 to 10.30 am. The programme will highlight the importance of youth engagement in UNFCCC negotiations and of addressing the need for access and technical needs for strengthening youth participation in the UNFCCC process. In addition, by sharing case studies and good practices on a national and local level with COY participants, the programme aims to provide interactive and concrete examples on how youth can engage in local, national and global processes on climate change.